Return To Water Dragon Isle
by mawnstrz
Summary: What if that old bloke that gave Serge and co. a ride that one time actually went back and talked to the Water Dragon? Nobody wants this question answered, but I answered anyway.
1. Chapter 1

_"Why did Serge come here?"_

 _"To determine thine fate."_

The old man remained sitting, glancing upward in confoundment. "What did he mean..."

A handful of water splashed near him, coating the back of his neck. "The fish are down there, mister!"

"You kids better behave yourselves while Leena is gone, ya hear!"

"Yeah, whatever!"

"Don't be smart, now!" The old man raised his eyebrows, "And don't swim too far out! Last time I'll say it!"

While Leena was out gallivanting with Serge, the old man was left to play babysitter. They behaved for the most part, every now and then acting as children do. Often they would drape seaweed on unsuspecting townsfolk as a harmless rib. Granted, the eldest inhabitants of Arni Village weren't particularly tickled by such a thing. Sometimes spending entire days rubbing their eyes due to saltwater buildup.

Even so, the old man's mind couldn't help but wander toward Serge's involvement with the Water Dragon. Why was it so imperative that a boy requested ferry to such an island if, in fact, the mighty beast was still alive? His friends didn't appear dangerous, nor did they give off the impression of a thrill-seeker. Though the dragon spoke almost in riddles, he made it abundantly clear that Serge wasn't responsible for the Fairy viscera so omnipresent throughout the island. At least not entirely.

" _Did he…do this?"_

" _Nay. Thou cometh with honest intention. It is I who challenged him."_

" _You…fought him?"_

" _My respect was earned on that day."_

"I still can't believe he survived…that little boy from Arni bested a Dragon…" The old man removed his sun hat, letting his fishing rod prop up against it. His mind wandered to various tales the more adventurous citizens of Arni had regaled him with over the years. Some swore they fought birds with wingspans reaching across the entire El Nido archipelago, another claimed witness to a monster ten stories high burrowing itself into the planet in a whole big enough to be a crater. However, Serge had actually engaged in combat with a monstrous demon and lived to tell the tale! The nerve of the boy.

Suddenly, his fishing rod jostled to the point of nearly falling out of his lap. "Whoa! Easy now!" He ferociously gripped it once more, then pulling back as he walked further on the pier. "This is something wild, I'll say!" He nearly lost his balance, almost tripping over the hat he had removed earlier.

"Can't get shaken now, it's coming up!" Reeling in a bit further, something familiar surfaced to the top. "Blast it! I told you kids to behave!" The child pointed and laughed, evoking the same reaction from the others watching.

The trio of children regrouped to plot their next scheme, barely able to communicate due to the laughing fits they were experiencing. The old man simply shook his head, plopping down at the edge of the pier once more. What a coincidence it would've been to have caught something as vicious as a Sawfish while meandering about unbelievable monstrosities. Though he may have been unable to net such a thing in his old age, it would have played off the high he experienced standing in awe of the Water Dragon.

"Kids, come here!" The old man rallied. After all, if they were going to act out anyway, he preferred they do so where he could see them.

"No way! We aren't that dumb!" One of them yelled, implying they were in trouble

"I'm not going to harm any of you, I just wanna tell you about the time I met a dragon." He tilted his head back, glancing over in expectance of their curiosity.

"You didn't see a dragon! Did…you?" The group began to fall into the palm of his hand.

"Sure did. But I guess if you don't wanna hear about it," he turned his head, facing forward once more, "I'll just..."

"I wanna hear this!" One of them chimed in, swimming closer to his proximity as the others gave chase.

With his fishing rod now fully reeled in, he let it rest on the pier. "Have you kids heard of Water Dragon Isle?" He questioned, then glancing down to see them congregating.

"My dad said something about that place," The older one spoke up. "He said there were fairies or something there, but that can't be true…wouldn't the dragon just eat em'?" Each of their eyes widened with intrigue at the idea of such a feat.

They managed a slight chuckle out of the old timer. "No no, they live in harmony…at least, what's left of them."

"Did YOU eat them?!"

"No!" He nearly fell over with laughter this time.

"Then who did?!" They continued, still concerned about the fate of the Fairies.

"They weren't eaten at all! But they were indeed slain in battle." He morosed, then somberly gripping his hat.

"Then…who killed them?" Two of them questioned unison.

" _The Dwarves."_

" _But…why?"_

" _Because of man. Thine species hath overgrown El Nido, encroaching upon their territory – forcing them away."_

"It was…our fault?" Their voices now timbered with angst and displeasure, but their attention wasn't fixated elsewhere.

"It would appear so, children. But don't worry! Plenty of them remain to this day." He exchanged glances with each of them, serious in his demeanor but allowing a smile to creep upon his face as he finished.

"So what about the dragon?" One of them piped in. "Yeah! How big was it?!" A chatter amongst them broke out, for mere seconds then forgetting about the old man entirely.

"Children! One at a time, please." His arms were crossed, but that same smile was cemented in place. "The creature was indeed mighty, make no mistake. But he was beautiful at the same time…with skin as blue as the ocean, and a tail like a mermaid." He could picture it now, such a sight was impossible to forget.

"This thing sounds dumb…why does it look like a mermaid?!" They began to get rowdy once more. "Yeah, that's lame!"

The angler, with his hands now placed firmly on his head in frustration, raised his voice to match their own. "Silence! You wouldn't say such a thing to his face, I promise you that. His teeth were as big as each of you. Heck, he could even swallow me whole!"

Their attitudes changed promptly, each of them envisioning squaring off against it. What a lopsided encounter that would be.

Serge was almost ten years their senior…but he was barely a teenager.

Yet still…he won.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why did you go over there, anyway?" This talk of a dragon got the kids riled up, as two of them began imitating the beast in their minds eyes, though one managed an inquiry. This one being perhaps, their most sincere question. After all, the old man did mention that such a monster had the ability to swallow him whole. The man lost his balance on a hat, he most certainly wasn't in a position to fell a Wyrm. Especially one with his own island named after him.

" _I'm just here out of curiosity"_

" _Hath thou knowledge of my existence prior?"_

" _Yes, well…I suspected you were dead…"_

" _Art thou disappointed?"_

"Curious about what, though?" Now they were really asking the good questions. The other two had settled down now, no longer splashing water every which way. Very impressive to have gone this long, considering they swam for hours earlier. Maybe they would harbor the same sense of adventure as Serge, perhaps one day they would find their own Dragon. Though hopefully that wouldn't be for quite some time.

"Well, children…I wanted to know why Serge…why he went there." Water seeped into the open mouths of those hearing the old man's tale, followed by aggressively spattering salt out. Clearly, he was the one to break such news about Serge. Whether it was right or not to tell didn't matter at this point, everyone in Arni deserved to know the truth. Everyone deserved to know that an emissary of Arni was that fearless.

"No way!" The kids remarked in unison, still emptying their system of saltwater in the process. "He…just went over there like that?!"

His initial shred of uncertainty melted away. A warm smirk now sat in its place, "He certainly did! Never had I seen the likes of such bravery!" Now speaking in grandiose tone, infecting the children's expressions to mirror his own. Many a child had experienced sordid tales of scooping up monstrous fish, but never had they known anyone to face off against a Dragon. Knowing such a thing existed in the same archipelago as they did caused their small hearts to race. Their excitement didn't stop there, as one by one they began climbing up the pier to hear what he was saying even better. Knowing he had captivated these kids was, in some way, an even bigger victory than stepping away from a Dragon unscathed!

The prune-handed youngsters settling closer meant the old timer had to turn around and face the opposite side of the pier for a change. He didn't mind, of course, as it meant he could carry on with his story. "And not only that…but they sparred!" Given they were slippery from the sea, one of the children nearly fell off the pier, only being saved by another. Though they were often rambunctious, they possessed a Crab in a barrel mentality. "And wouldn't you believe it…the Dragon lost!" Once excited faces slowly drowned in skepticism.

"He…he beat a Dragon? That dork that keeps trying to date Leena?" One of them asked with a raised eyebrow. They never did approve of Serge, at least not as someone that deserved to date Leena. Leena picked on him, too, but in a playful way. Of course, the kids were under such an assumption that she was antagonizing him all the same. Unfortunately for them, that wasn't at all the case.

"One day you'll like girls, too, ya know?" The old man assured them.

"No way! Yuck!" The salt water had been well out of their systems for a short while now, but that didn't stop them from spitting all the same.

"Haha! Anyway, should I get back to my story?" He asked, with an inviting grin.

"If Serge could take out a Dragon, I bet I can!" It was only a matter of time until they formed this opinion.

Slumping his head, the old man then halted them where they sat. "Maybe one day…but you kids could barely handle a baby Komodo Dragon, I suspect." Clearly, he had a gift for riling up these young'uns.

"What?! Let's go to Opassa Beach right now! I'll prove you wrong!" They stood up promptly, then punching and kicking at invisible Dragons.

"Settle down," He murmured. "I know for a fact that your parents would worry. Maybe in a few years."

Now grouchy, they aggressively plopped themselves back down. "Okay! But how did Serge beat the Dragon? He's so weak!"

" _Son of man did possess indefatigable will. But his friends did share this as well."_

" _And…had he been alone?"_

" _Nay. Never had anyone prior devastated me into submission."_

" _N…never?"_

"He was the first!?" Eye contact jumped around between the three kids, disbelief sat nestled in each of them.

The old man simply nodded, that very same smirk playing host once more. "That's right. Not only was he brave enough to travel there, but he also accepted the Dragon's challenge…and won." To have earned a Dragon's respect is one of the highest honors anyone could have. Though, managing to convince one that a Dragon exists is on a similar plane. Had he done that today? All he wanted after today was for these kids to constantly ask the question 'what if?'.

The sun above began to hang low, not that the old timer needed any indicator that he was out baking for far too long, rather, his yawning was evidence enough. "Woo…I dunno about you kids, but I'm gonna need to turn in soon." Frowns hit them like a Cat Burglar.

"Aww, man! How about tomorrow? Can we continue! If…Leena isn't back, I guess?" Their interest rose to a peak at this point, pressuring the old man to carry through with the same momentum the next day.

"Sure thing. I'll be out here early, so I'll be waiting!" He exchanged, then standing and carrying his fishing rod over his shoulder. The kids waved, and he simply held up his hand in response. For years he sat outside with those kids, and not once had he attempted to converse with them outside of nagging at them to behave. My how things had changed.


End file.
